Survey finds millions of drivers admit to having lead foot

Do you have a lead foot, or do you make sure you follow the speed limit?

A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found just about all of us believe drivers should follow speed limits. But millions of Americans admit to speeding. It's no surprise most of us are guilty of speeding at some time. But law enforcement says there's no excuse for breaking the law.

"That'd be one...73 in a 50, that'd be one," said (Sgt. Ted Wertz, Dougherty County Police Department, while his speed gun beeps as a car passes by. He sees speeders every day. And there's no sign they're slowing down.

"Sometimes when you're pressed for time, you might speed a little bit, but sometime I find myself ridin' with the traffic and the traffic be speedin'," said Carlene Harris, Albany Resident.

A recent survey on Speeding Attitudes and Behavior found 91% of drivers think everyone should obey speed limits. But nearly a quarter of those surveyed say they speed intentionally or because they aren't paying attention.

"I used to get them (tickets) quite often. But you know, as you get older, you kind of realize it doesn't take all that speed to get where you're going," said Donell Davis, Albany Resident.

Updated equipment allows officers to measure a vehicle's speed while driving their patrol car. Stricter legislation has also been adopted to slow drivers down.

"Now if you're caught on a two lane roadway doing over 20 miles per hour, you can be classified as a super speeder and have to pay over 200-dollars extra to the state of Georgia," said Cpt. Tom Jackson, Dougherty County Police Department.

The survey found drivers of all ages break traffic laws, but younger drivers tend to have a heavier foot.

"And if you put a young adult into a fast car, you know...a motorcycle's a prime example. Once you get a machine like that that has all that power, there's a tendency to want to see what it will do," said Jackson.

Half of those surveyed say more efforts need to be taken to reduce speeding. Others preach defensive driving.

"We just got to be more cautious of each other," Harris said.

Others say the key is planning ahead.

"So the thing is if you start off in time, ahead of time, you will arrive on time," said Davis.

Either way, officers will continue trying to get people to ease off the gas. Officers said speeding is the number one traffic offense, and speed is responsible for nearly a third of traffic related deaths. They say the most common ticket is for ten and over.

Officers urge you to have a safe holiday season by allowing plenty of time to get to where you're going, making sure you buckle up, and slow down.